Arsenal 'monitoring Jackson Martinez'

Arsenal are said to be monitoring the situation of Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez amid speculation that he could exit the Vicente Calderon this transfer window.

The 29-year-old only joined Atletico over the summer in a £26m move from Porto, but has struggled to adapt to life in the Spanish capital, managing just three goals so far this term.

Chelsea are leading the charge for his signature, and have even mooted a swap deal with Diego Costa, although Le 10 Sport claims that London rivals Arsenal have now entered the picture.

Speaking about Martinez at the weekend, Atleti manager Diego Simeone told AS: "I'm happy with his work. He has scored as many goals as the other attackers while he played less than them. They say many things about it, but we must have patience and I repeat: I am very happy with his work."

Martinez managed 67 goals in 89 league appearances during his three seasons with the Portuguese side.